Flush and top mounted built-in cooktop



Nov. 26, 1968 B. 'HURKO 3,412,727

FLUSH AND TOP MOUNTED BUILT-IN COOKTOP Filed Aug. 23, 1967 FGB l8 i LL ;Q& 1S

4e, 45 INVENTOR. 54 5 BOHDAN HURKO 28 $3 g K BY-Z H\S ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,412,727 FLUSH AND TOP MOUNTED BUILT-IN COOKTOP Bohdan Hurko, Louisville, Ky., assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Filed Aug. 23, 1967, Ser. No. 662,624 Claims. (Cl. 126--211) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A built-in cooking appliance that is adapted to be mounted in an opening of a kitchen counter. The appliance comprises a rough-in wiring box and an overlying cover plate whose side edges extend beyond the side walls of the box and are provided with a downturned supporting flange. A plurality of mounting brackets are fastened to the inner surface of the supporting flange and serve both as a connecting means between the cover plate and box structure as well as supporting fastening screws which are used to secure the appliance to the counter. The cooking appliance may either be supported by the supporting flange of the cover plate on the top of the edge of the opening in the counter, or the appliance may be provided with a mounting ring of generally T-shaped transverse cross-sectional configuration where the supporting flange of the cover plate is supported on the shank of the T-ring by a plurality of clip members and the crown of the T-ring has one side overlying the margin of the cover plate while the other side is adapted to overlie the top of the edge of the opening in the counter.

Cross-reference to related patent This invention is an improvement over the invention in Patent No. 2,994,317 to Philip I. More which issued on Aug. 1, 1961, and is assigned to the General Electric Company, the assignee of the present invention.

Background of the invention The majority of cooking appliances that are built into the kitchen counter are mounted flush with the top surface of the counter using a mounting ring in a manner similar to the mounting ring for a kitchen sink as is taught in the expired Drain Patent No. 2,440,741. In any event, it is necessary to provide an adjustable fastening means for the cooking appliance so that the appliance is tightly held in the counter. There is in this invention an important advantage to the installer of such cooking appliances that he has the option of either mounting the appliance flush with the counter top or mounting the appliance directly on the top edge of the counter opening thereby eliminating the mounting ring, while being able to take advantage of the same adjustable fastening means for both methods of mounting.

A principal object of the present invention is to provide a built-in cooking appliance that is adapted for mounting in an opening in a counter using an adjustable fastening means that permits an option of mounting the appliance either flush with the counter top or mounted directly on the top of the counter top.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a cooking appliance of the class described wherein the box structure is connected to the cover plate through the medium of the said fastening means.

Summary of the invention The present invention, in accordance with one form thereof, relates to a cooking appliance arranged for mounting in an opening provided in a counter. The appliance includes a box structure with an open top that is closed by a cover plate. The cover plate has a peripheral edge with a supporting flange overhanging the sides of the box. At least two mounting brackets are secured to the inner surface of the supporting flange at widely spaced locations. The box side walls are connected to the central portion of the mounting bracket, while the lower portion of each bracket has a screw threaded opening receiving a fastening screw that may be adjusted for engaging the sides or under portion of the counter. The box includes an access opening for each fastening screw so that each screw may be adjusted with respect to the mounting bracket. Hence, the appliance may be mounted with the supporting flange directly bearing upon the counter, or alternatively a mounting ring may slip around the margin of the cover plate so that the supporting flange of the cover plate is held by clip members to the shank of the mounting ring.-

Brief description of the drawing My invention will be better understood from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and its scope will be pointed out in the appended claims.

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a cooking appliance embodying the present invention shown top mounted in an opening in a kitchen counter.

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary cross-sectional elevational view on an enlarged scale at the left side edge of the cooktop of FIGURE 1, taken on the lines 2--2 thereof.

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view on an enlarged scale of one of the mounting brackets used in the present invention for joining the box structure to the cover plate as well as for supporting the adjustable fastening screw for holding the appliance in place.

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary cross-sectional elevational view similar to that of FIGURE 2 showing the cooking appliance mounted flush in the counter opening by the addition of a T-shaped mounting ring and resilient clip members for supporting the cover plate from the shank of the T-ring.

Description of the preferred embodiment Turning now to consideration of the drawings and in particular to FIGURE 1 there is shown a kitchen counter top 10 that includes a rigid plastic laminate material 11 suitably bonded to a plywood backing 12, and this counter top is supported on a cabinet structure shown simply as a vertical front wall 13. A large rectangular opening is cut in the counter top 10 so that a cooking appliance 15 may be mounted therein. This appliance comprises two main elements, as shown in FIGURE 2; namely, a shallow rough-in wiring box 17 and an overlying cover plate 18. The rough-in box 17 has a bottom wall 20 and four vertical side walls 21. The cover plate 18 is a generally planar member that supports a plurality of surface heating elements or burners 23, and for the sake of simplicity also supports the manual control means 24 for each surface heating means. It will be understood, of course, that there are many alternate methods of mounting the cooktop controls 24. They need not be formed integral with the cover plate, as they may be mounted on the front of the cabinet 13 or perhaps on the kitchen wall behind the counter top 10.

Of importance is the fact that the cover plate 18 overhangs the side walls 21 of the rough-in box 17 as is best seen from FIGURE 2. The peripheral edge of the cover plate 18 is formed with a downturned supporting flange 26. Secured to the inner surface of this supporting flange 26 is a plurality of mounting brackets 28, one of which is shown in detail in FIGURE 3. Preferably, there would be two mounting brackets spaced along each of the two sides of the cover plate. Another possibility would be to have one bracket for each of the four sides of the cover plate. The top portion of the bracket 28 is provided with a pair of outwardly extending wing portions 29 and these wings are adapted to be welded to the inner surface of the flange 26 in order to distribute and reduce the stresses on the flange and thereby avoid the chipping of the porcelain enamel that is used as a decorative finish over the outer surface of the cover plate 18. As seen in FIGURE 2, the mounting bracket 28 extends inwardly and downwardly of the supporting flange 26. The central portion of the bracket 28 is provided with a hole 31 for receiving a sheet metal screw 32 so that the side Wall 21 of the box structure 17 may be fastened directly to the mounting bracket. Notice that any load carried by the bracket causes the bracket to pull downwardly on the flange 26 and thereby exerts a shearing action between the parts. This action puts the least stress on the porcelain enamel of the cover plate.

The lower end of the bracket 28 is provided with an angular portion 34 that includes a screw threaded opening 35 for receiving an adjustable fastening screw 37 therein. This fastening screw extends upwardly and outwardly from the box side wall 21 through a suitable hole 39 in the side wall, and it is provided with a pointed tip 41 which adapted to dig into either the side or the under portion of the counter top 10. The lower end of the fastening screw 37 is provided with a flattened wing or head 43, while the bottom wall 20 of the box 17 is provided with an access opening 45 by forming a large inward lancing 46 so that the screw 47 may extend out through the opening 45 for reaching the screw from beneath the appliance so that its length may be manually adjusted with respect to the bracket. This is the preferable means of reaching the fastening screws 37 when the appliance has a shallow box construction, as illustrated. However, in the case of a deep rough-in box the surface heating element 23 might be raised and the hand inserted through an underlying opening in the cover plate 18, as shown in FIGURE 2 of the More Patent 2,994,317 cited above.

The modification of FIGURES l and 2 shows the cooking appliance 15 mounted to the counter top with the supporting flange 26 bearing directly on the top surface of the counter top 10. For a second modification, this same cooking appliance may be flush mounted in a slightly larger opening in the counter top as seen in FIG- URE 4 by adding a mounting ring 48 to encircle the cover plate and serve as a supporting medium between the appliance 15 and the counter top 10. The mounting ring 48 is generally of T-shaped transverse cross-sectional configuration with a vertical shank 49 and a horizontal crown 50 having one side of the crown overlying the margin of the cover plate 18 and the other side of the crown overlying the edge of the opening in the counter top 10. Cooperating with the mounting ring 48 are a plurality of resilient clip members 52, of perhaps eight in number, which do not engage the fastening screw 37 as might be misconstrued from FIGURE 4, but are entirly independent therefrom. Each clip member is made from spring steel stock of about /2 width and is provided with a vertical leg 54 cooperating with the shank 49 of the T -ring 48, and a side-turned V-shaped portion 55 underlying the supporting flange 26 of the cover plate 18. This V-sha-ped portion 55 serves as a spring seat for the flange 26, and the upper portion thereof has a slight indent 56 for receiving the lower edge of the flange 26. The upper portion of the vertical leg 54 of the clip is provided with an angular form that is inserted through a small slot in the vertical shank 49 of the T-ring 48 so that the leg 54 of the clip extends down the side of the shank opposite the supporting flange 26 of the cover plate 18. The particular mounting ring 48 and resilient clip members 52 shown in FIGURE 4 are of generally standard. construction in this art.

Modifications of this invention will occur to those skilled in this art; therefore, it is to be understood that this invention is not limited to the particular embodiments disclosed but that it is intended to cover all modifications which are within the true spirit and scope of this invention as claimed.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A cooking top assembly arranged for mounting in an opening provided in a counter or the like, said assembly comprising a box structure and a cover plate, said box structure having a bottom wall with generally vertical side walls and an open top portion that is adapted to be substantially closed by the cover plate, the cover plate being a generally planar member with a peripheral edge formed with a downturned flange that is spaced outwardly from the side walls of the box structure, a mounting bracket fastened to the inner surface of the downturned flange at each of at least two of the opposite sides of the cover plate, each bracket extending generally inwardly and downwardly from its supporting flange, the central portion of the mounting bracket having means for attaching the side walls of the box structure thereto, whereby the box structure is assembled to the cover plate through the medium of the mounting brackets, the lower edge of the bracket being arranged with an angular portion having a screw threaded opening, a hole formed in the side wall of the box structure generally in alignment with the threaded opening, a fastening screw extending in an upward and outward direction with relation to the supporting flange and adjustable for a distance suflicient to extend through the hole in the box side wall and engage the side or under portion of the counter, said screw having a head portion at its lower end, the bottom wall of the box structure being provided with an access opening for each screw for reach ing the screw head and facilitating the adjustment of the position of the screw with relation to the mounting bracket.

2. A cooking top assembly as recited in claim 1 with the addition of a mounting ring slipped over the supporting flange of the cover plate, said ring having a generally T-shaped transverse configuration with a vertical shank paralleling the cover plate flange and a crown having one side overlying the margin of the cover plate and an opposite side extending outwardly therefrom, and means including a plurality of resilient elements releasably securing the shank of the T-ring to the supporting flange of the cover plate.

3. A cooking top assembly arranged for mounting in an opening provided in a counter, said assembly com-.

prising a box structure and a cover plate, said box structure having a bottom wall with side walls and an open top, the cover plate being a generally planar member that is fastened to the box structure to close the box, the cover plate having a peripheral edge overhanging the box side walls and formed with a downturned supporting flange, a plurality of mounting brackets secured to the inner surface of the supporting flange at opposite sides of the cover plate for fastening the assembly to the counter, each bracket extending generally inwardly and downwardly from the supporting flange, the lower end of the bracket being arranged with a screw threaded opening formed therein, a fastening screw in the threaded opening and extending upwardly and outwardly of the supporting flange and adjustable for a distance sufficient to engage the side or under portion of the counter, each screw being adjustable from its lower end, the box being provided with access means for each screw so that the screws may be adjusted, and a mounting ring surrounding the edge of the cover plate, said ring having a generally T-shaped transverse configuration with a vertical shank paralleling the cover plate flange and a crown having one side overlying the margin of the cover plate and an opposite side extending outwardly therefrom and adapted to bear upon the top edge of the opening in the counter, and means including a plurality of resilient clip members releasably securing the supporting flange of the cover plate to the shank of the mounting ring.

4. A cooking top assembly arranged for mounting in an opening provided in a counter, said assembly comprising a box structure and a cover plate, the cover plate includes a plurality of surface heating means, and control means for governing the energization of the said surface heating means, said box structure having a bottom wall with side Walls and an open top, the cover plate being a generally planar member that is fastened to the box structure to close the box, the cover plate having a peripheral edge overhanging the box side walls and formed with a downturned supporting flange, a plurality of mounting brackets secured to the inner surface of the supporting flange at opposite sides of the cover plate for fastening the assembly to the counter, each bracket extending generally inwardly and downwardly from the supporting flange, the central portion of each mounting bracket being provided with a hole, and fastening means extending through the holes in the brackets for holding the box side walls to the brackets, the lower end of the bracket being arranged with a screw threaded opening formed therein, a fastening screw in the threaded opening and extending upwardly and outwardly of the supporting flange and adjustable for a distance sufiicient to engage the side or under portion of the counter, each screw being adjustable from its lower end, the box being provided with access means for each screw so that the screws may be adjusted.

5. A cooking top assembly arranged for mounting in an opening provided in a counter, said assembly comprising a shallow box structure and a cover plate, said box structure having a bottom wall and vertical side walls with an open top that is adapted to be substantially closed by the cover plate, the cover plate being a generally planar member supporting a plurality of surface heating means as well as a plurality of manual controls for the heating means, the cover plate having a vertical edge extending beyond the box side walls and formed with a downturned supporting flange, a plurality of mounting brackets fastened to the inner surface of the supporting flange at widely spaced locations thereof, each bracket extending generally inwardly and downwardly from the supporting flange, the central portion of each bracket having means for attaching the box side walls thereto whereby the box structure is assembled to the cover plate through the medium of the mounting brackets, the lower end of each bracket being arranged with an angular portion having a screw threaded opening therein, a hole formed in the box side wall generally in alignment with each threaded opening, a fastening screw arranged within the threaded opening and extending in an upward and outward direction through the hole in the box side Wall and adjustable for a distance sufficient to engage the side or under portion of the counter, said screw having a head portion at its lower end, the box bottom wall being provided with an access opening for each screw for reaching the screw head and adjusting the position of the screw with relation to the mounting bracket, and a mounting ring surrounding the supporting flange of the cover plate, said ring having a generally T-shaped transverse configuration with a vertical shank portion paralleling the cover plate flange and a horizontal crown portion having one side overlying the margin of the cover plate and an opposite side adapted to extend over the edge of the opening in the counter, and a plurality of clip members releasably securing the supporting flange of the cover plate to the shank portion of the mounting ring.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 8/1961 More 126211 8/1962 Nielsen 126-37 

